Not Applicable
Not applicable.
This invention relates to board games, more particularly, to a checkerboard style board game having reversible pieces and a peripheral xe2x80x9csacrificexe2x80x9d zone.
Board games are old, many being derived from the familiar xe2x80x9ccheckerboardxe2x80x9d arrangement of alternating light and dark squares within columns and rows. Many such games feature checker-like or chess-like moves involving side-to-side (hereinafter xe2x80x9cvertical cal,xe2x80x9d having reference to the top and bottom of the drawing), forward and backward (hereinafter after xe2x80x9chorizontalxe2x80x9d), and diagonal moves, and variations thereof Such games often are directed rected toward the capture of a single piece out of the opponent""s set.
Prior developments in this field may be generally illustrated by reference to the following information disclosure statement:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,069 teaches a variation on chess where there is a capture row that holds pieces that can be released when a player""s piece reaches the other side of the board.
U.S. Pat. Nos. D-393,286, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,897,953 and 2,585,268 teach chess or chess-like boards 5 with extra or modified outside border squares.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,650 teaches a checkerboard type game with bi-colored pieces that switch sides upon capture and with specialized capture localities.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,614,842 teaches a checkerboard with a border zone into which a player can move (see column 3, lines 60-68).
The rest of the patents are representative of what was found in the art.
Some find play stifling when a player is confined to a set of pieces that is fixed in number and in type of piecexe2x80x94wherein one""s count of pieces can only go down. Furthermore, the customary use of a checkerboard pattern is often felt to limit the possibility of play, particularly for pieces adjacent to the perimeter of the board.
In view of the disadvantages inherent in the known art, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to teach a new and improved board game apparatus which has all of the important advantages of the prior art and few, if any, of the disadvantages to a player.
The novel game board of the present invention has a central playing field, called the territories, surrounded by a peripheral or perimeter playing field, called the sacrifice zone. The board comprises 90 xe2x80x9csquaresxe2x80x9d arranged in ten columns and nine rows. The squares form an ordered array of cells or positions for playing pieces, through which rectangular array vertical, horizontal and diagonal moves are possible. The thirty-four perimeter squares comprise a sacrifice zone that is one square wide, namely, the first and last columns and the top and bottom rows. The remaining fifty-six inner squares comprise the territories. The squares of the territories field preferably are of a first set of alternating light and dark colors, with the sacrifice zone comprising squares of a second set of visually different alternating light and dark colors. However, other equivalent methods of distinguishing adjacent squares and of distinguishing the two fields may be selected. For example, distinctive cell indicia may be used at the cell locations instead of colored squares. Also, the playing cells may be formed into shapes other than squares that are functionally equivalent thereto.
Two sets of fourteen playing pieces of three types are assigned to the two players; each type of piece being allowed moves and captures according to individual rules. Special rules apply to pieces entering and occupying the sacrifice zone squares. The pieces bear markings, colors, shapes or like indicia which distinguish the three types. Each piece is reversiblexe2x80x94that is, one side of the piece bears on its top (first or primary) face or side indicia of the first player""s set and on the obverse (second or secondary) face or side indicia of the second player""s set. Upon capture, an opponent""s piece is physically reversed. The obverse verse side is turned up, which causes the display of the primary indicia of the capturing player, and the piece is returned to the square upon which it rested before being captured.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved board game apparatus that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
A further object or feature of the present invention is a new and improved board game apparatus that is of a durable and reliable construction.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel board game apparatus wherein an increased ease of setup and play is permitted relative to the art.
Another object or feature is a new and improved board game apparatus that is attractive in appearance and suitable for mass production.
Accordingly, a feature of this invention is a board game apparatus, including: a playing board; said playing board forming a territories playing field of fifty-six squares formed into a grid of rows and columns; said playing board forming a sacrifice zone playing field of thirty-four squares forming a perimeter that is one square wide that surrounds said territories playing field; a plurality of playing pieces divisible into a first and a second set of equal number; said first and second sets each comprising one emperor piece, six ambassador pieces, and seven governor pieces; said emperor pieces each having two emperor sides, one emperor side bearing distinguishing emperor""s first-set indicia and the other emperor side bearing distinguishing emperor""s second-set indicia; said ambassador pieces each having two ambassador sides, one ambassador side bearing distinguishing ambassador""s first-set indicia and the other ambassador side bearing distinguishing ambassador""s second-set indicia; and said governor pieces each having two governor sides, one governor side bearing distinguishing governor""s first-set indicia and the other governor side bearing distinguishing governor""s second-set indicia, wherein said playing pieces may be arranged into said first set having fourteen playing pieces and said second set having fourteen pieces by turning one of said emperor pieces emperor""s first-set indicia side up and by turning the other one of said emperor pieces emperor""s second-set indicia side up, by turning six of said ambassador pieces ambassador""s first-set indicia side up and by turning the other six of said ambassador pieces ambassador""s second-set indicia side up, and by turning seven of said governor pieces governor""s first-set indicia side up and by turning the other seven of said governor pieces governor""s second-set indicia side up.
A further feature is a game board wherein said territories playing field comprises squares of alternating first light and first dark colors, and said sacrifice zone playing field comprises squares of alternating second light and second dark colors.
A further feature is such an apparatus wherein said emperor""s first-set indicia comprises a solid white circle inside a black ring that is inside a white ring and said emperior""s second-set indicia comprises a solid black circle inside a white ring that is inside a black ring, said ambassador""s first-set indicia comprises a solid black circle inside a white ring and said ambassador""s second-set indicia comprises a solid white circle inside a black ring, and said governor""s first-set indicia comprises a solid white circle and said governor""s second-set indicia comprises a solid black circle.
Yet another feature is a game wherein said emperor pieces are larger than said ambassador pieces and said ambassador pieces are larger than said governor pieces.
Other novel features which are characteristic of the invention, as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. The various features of novelty that characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this disclosure. The invention resides not in any one of these features taken alone, but rather in the particular combination of all of its structures for the functions specified.
There thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form additional subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based readily may be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trade-mark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract is neither intended to define the invention of this application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
Certain terminology and derivations thereof may be used in the following description for convenience in reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, words such as xe2x80x9cvertical,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9chorizontal,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cleft,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d would refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made unless otherwise stated. Similarly, words such as xe2x80x9cinwardxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9coutwardxe2x80x9d would refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of a device or area and designated parts thereof. References in the singular tense include the plural, and vice versa, unless otherwise noted.